Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows the process for recycling plastic bottles.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

How plastic bottles are recycled

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the process for recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, the process has 9 steps which begin with waste being accumulated and thrown in the garbage and ends with final recycled products being made. The steps involve both technical and mechanical processes.

First, the garbage thrown by individuals is collected in a recycling bin. This waste from this big is transported to the segregation facility through a truck. In the following step, waste is carefully sorted as recycable and non recyclable goods through manual labour. After this, plastic bottles are accumulated and compressed into blocks. These huge piles of blocks are crushed using a mechanical process and the crushed pieces are washed in water. In the 6 step, the cleaned plastic pieces are processed through a machine to heat pallets to form raw materials. Finally in the last phase of the process, the raw materials are converted into finished goods like bottles, bags, tshirts, pencils and tiffin boxes. During the disposition these products are thrown away completing and restarting the entire recycling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages from collection through processing to the production of new goods, and your overview identifies the process as a cycle. The examples of end products—“bottles, bags, tshirts, pencils and tiffin boxes”—also reflect the diagram. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: bottles are put into a recycling bin, rather than “thrown in the garbage,” and the diagram shows the pellets being heated to form raw material, not the plastic pieces being heated to make “raw materials.” The account also says the products are thrown away to restart the cycle, whereas the diagram simply shows an arrow returning from end products to the first stage. Clarifying these points and describing the sorting and pellet-making stages more precisely would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, and a chronological account of the stages. Connectors such as “First,” “In the following step,” “After this,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process, and the cycle is mentioned at both the beginning and end. This gives the report a coherent overall progression. Some linking is mechanical, however, and the phrase “In the 6 step” interrupts the otherwise smooth sequence. There is also an unclear reference in “This waste from this big,” which makes the transition from collection to transport difficult to follow. Use a wider range of natural transitions and ensure each reference clearly identifies the material or stage being discussed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “sorted,” and “converted,” and these choices help communicate the main operations. However, several inaccurate or awkward expressions limit precision: “garbage” does not describe the recycling-bin contents as clearly as “discarded bottles,” “segregation facility” is less suitable than “recycling centre,” and “pallets” appears to be a mistaken word for “pellets.” “Disposition” is also an unnatural choice for the disposal of products, while “tiffin boxes” is less appropriate than the diagram’s general category of food containers. Spelling and formatting issues such as “recycable” and “tshirts” further reduce control. Aim for accurate process-specific terms and natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and more complex forms, including the overview clause “which begin with…” and the passive construction “are converted into finished goods.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward sentence patterns reduce accuracy. For example, “the process has 9 steps which begin … and ends” has a subject–verb agreement problem, and “In the 6 step” needs an ordinal form and an article. The sentence “This waste from this big is transported…” is structurally unclear, and “During the disposition these products are thrown away completing…” needs clearer punctuation and clause structure. Check agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, especially when combining stages or adding explanations.

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